Of them, Madvi Manish (27) was active as Jan-Militia deputy commander, Madvi Hunga (24) as head of the Dandakaranya Adivasi Kisan Majdoor Sangthan (DAKMS)-- a front organisation of Maoists -- and Podiyam Ganga (34) as deputy head of DAKMS, he said.

All of them were allegedly involved in carrying out improvised explosive device (IED) blasts targeting the security forces and firing on police teams in Bhejji and Maraiguda areas of Sukma, Shukla said.